6-wheeled Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 unleashed on the public

Just in case the regular G63 AMG from Mercedes-Benz wasn’t extreme enough, the company will soon be offering this six-wheeled version.

The vehicle is built alongside the regular G-Class range at Magna Steyr's operations in Graz, Austria, and was originally developed for the Australian military back in 2011.

It turns out there was enough interest in the vehicle to warrant the development of a civilian version.

The head of development for the Mercedes-Benz G-Class line, Axel Harries, said pricing for the vehicle hasn’t been announced but interested buyers can expect to pay no more than the 350,000 euro ($457,000) sticker of the SLS AMG Electric Drive.

While in its original military spec the vehicle was based on the diesel-powered G320 CDI, for civilian use Mercedes decided to go with the more powerful--and more luxurious--G63 trim. This means it comes powered by a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8, rated at 544 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque and matched to a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The G63 AMG 6x6 is going to need most of that grunt as it tips the scales at a hefty 8,322 pounds.

It comes with a four-door cabin, six driven wheels, low range gearing, a tire-control system for its standard 37-inch wheels, and five differential locks that offer 100 percent lockup of all six wheels via a trio of switches on the dash.

The vehicle’s overall length is close to 19.3 feet, which means owners may have trouble squeezing it into a regular-sized parking spot. Ground clearance is 18.1 inches, some 9.8 inches higher than on the stock G63 AMG.

At the back is a polished bamboo--it's still a luxury vehicle--cargo bed, which has a maximum payload capacity of 1,433 pounds.

The G63 AMG 6x6 officially goes on sale in October. Currently, Mercedes is predicting sales of between 20 and 30 units annually.